Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-20
BOARD OF FORESTRY.
Important Proceedipgs-The Establish
ment of State POlice-0ther Matters.
rs. f. Bulletin, July l9th.l


rs. +. Bulletin, July l9th.l
A meeting OF the State Board of Forestry
was held last evening. and it was agreed
! that it was necessary, as measure of pro.
| lection to life and properly, that forest
police should be established in the timber
! counties to protect Government and State
| school lands. This force will not only look
out for those who build fires promiscu-
ously, but also for those who despoil the
| Government or State of timber rightfully
belonging 10 the national or local Govern
! ments. The Secretary was instructed 10
enter into correspondence with the Attor-
ney- General of the State, stating that the
| Board of Forestry had in its possession
| evidence sufficient to warrant the convic-
ton Of certain persons for violating tie
statute of Congress in relation to cutting
timber on Government land, and asking
what steps should be taken in the matter.
twas stated that w. Z. Anderson. an
agent of the Government, had given state
| ments TO the effect that, within from four
to six months past, over $4,000 worth OF
| public timber had been cut on school lands
| in this State.
On motion, an invitation was extended
! to all persons interested in the lumber bus
mess to appear before the Board at its next
| meeting and present their views as to the
yastation of our forests by fires and spolia-
ton.
The Board resolved to meet daily be-
| tween 10 o'clock a. NJ. and 3 o'clock P. NJ.
during the week to hear all persons inter-
ested in timber culture and forestry-pre-
serving.
On forestry topics, Mr. Kinney to-day
spoke freely. The first matter we have
TO attend to is an adequate police force to
guard the forests of the State. Our funds,
for We only have 500 500 for the work of two
years, will not permit very extensive ar
engagements. Our idea is to divide the
State into districts, not by counties, but BY
forest divisions, and then to keep a man
on the move in such districts all the time.
We can only pay about SIS month to such
man, and he must give his whole time
to the work. The law gives us the power
to commission them, and gives them when
commissioned, the powers of Sheriffs or
Constabies to make arrests. Their special
duty will be to caution people against set
ting forest fires, and to arrest all persons
who may be found destroying forests any,
where. No one has the right to DESTROY
forests in that way, whether they own
the land or not. The penalty set bv
law on conviction of such an offense is
81 600 fine or q years imprisonment, or
Doth. These officers must also project es-
pecially the school lands of the State
These lands are the sixteenth and thirty
sixth sections III every township, set apart
for the support of the schools The Gov
eminent recently caused its agents to re-
port TO US regarding these lands to the eff
feet that over $4,000 worth of timber
had been stolen. These agents have Sc
cured evidence, and the men implicated
will be prosecuted. Much of this stolen
timber was from land near MADEIRA, some
from the forest counties of the Sierras, and
IN the redwood districts. President Cleve-
land, Secretary Lamar and Commissioner
Sparks have all written to me and prom
ised Government aid so far as possible in
our protective work. Commissioner Sparks
iavorS plan we desire to effect-the with
drawal of all timber lands from the present
system of sale, and 10 sell the timber in
stead, under such restrictions as will secure
second growth. The Surveyor General
Major Hammond, has adopted our views
in this regard entirely, and will embody
them N the recommendations of his next
report.
." We have been corresponding with the
State Fish Commissioners to have their
officers work in harmony with us in regard
to the detention of forest depredators. The
forests OF the State and streams are directly
Connected IN thelr interests, and IL is deSira-
bic that the Commissioners should work in
harmony so far as they may.
The Commission is thoroughly aware
that the lumber industry is essential and
necessary, and has no desire to annoy the
industry, but only desires to provide for
permanent supply of all timbers. With
the present system of cutting and burning
no chance is allowed for forest trees to seed
and all the growth from stumpage is often
destroyed. As rule forest lands in this
State, in canyons or rocks mountain sides,
are good for nothing after being cleared.
" II IS the intention of the Commission to
establish a number OF experiment stations
wherever the land necessary will be given
The place will be laid out as park and
will be of value as such. About twenty or
thirty acres are needed for such stations. A
tract of leo acres has been given between
Los Angeles and Pasadena, and another
tract in San Diego county at the Olieven-
helm colony OF about fifty acres. 1t is pro-
posed at the University of Southern Cali
fornia to establish school of foresty,
which will, believe, be the only school of
the kind in the United States